This is a story without a single narrative — but rather tales of people who have maintained simultaneous scientific endeavors in two parts of the world, with one base in the U.S. Their motivations for doing so are all over the map.

Visual artist Lynn Fellman’s journey into the world of biological science illustration began in 2005 with a cotton swab. Her interest was piqued while participating in National Geographic’s Genographic Project. The goal of the project was to use direct-to-consumer DNA-testing kits to reveal insights into these age-old questions: How did modern humans evolve and how did we migrate to populate the Earth?

Ritankar Das, the top graduating senior at the University of California, Berkeley, is the recipient of the prestigious University Medal. The University Medal is awarded to an outstanding graduating student with a minimum GPA of 3.96. With a phenomenal grade-point average of 3.99, 18-year-old Das is the youngest to receive the medal in at least a century. He double majored in chemical biology and bioengineering and minored in creative writing.